Tiger Woods has been saying since he first showed up on the PGA Tour that he plays only to win.

Lately, he has been making just as many headlines when he loses.

In the 268 official tournaments that Woods has played around the world as a pro, he has never gone three consecutive events without winning when he held at least a share of the 36-hole lead.

That streak was in jeopardy after yesterday at the Australian Masters in Melbourne, where Woods looked to be in control with a three-shot lead until stumbling to an even-par 72 in the third round to fall into a three-way tie at 10-under 206 with the Australian duo of Greg Chalmers (69) and James Nitties (69).

For that, Woods was thankful.

"I played myself into a tie for the lead, and I could have easily played myself straight out of the tournament," he said. "But I grinded, I hung in there and turned it around. That's a huge positive."

He took a lousy session on the practice range onto the course, and it never got any better.

Woods blocked a 3-iron on the opening par 5 and failed to make birdie for the first time all week.

He came up short of the third green with a wedge and three-putted from the fringe for a bogey. He missed the seventh fairway well to the right, and short-sided himself in a bunker on the eighth, both times making unlikely pars.

The low point came at the 13th, where he was so angry after another shot sailed to the right that he slammed his driver into the ground and it bounced up and into the gallery. A surprised fan caught the club and returned it to him.

• Children's Miracle Network Disney Classic: George McNeill closed with a double bogey for 69, allowing three others to share the lead heading into the final round in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. McNeill overcame a five-shot deficit and made two eagles. Justin Leonard (71), Justin Rose (69) and Mathias Gronberg (66) were also tied atop the leader board at 13-under 203.

• Lorena Ochoa Invitational: Michelle Wie has a share of the lead, shooting a 2-under 70 to match Cristie Kerr at 10 under 206 in Guadalajara, Mexico. Winless on the LPGA Tour, Wie had four birdies and two bogeys. Kerr shot a 67.

• Hong Kong Open: Gregory Bourdy of France shot a bogey-free 7-under 63 to take the lead at 16-under 194 heading into the final round. Robert-Jan Derksen of the Netherlands was the only one of the three other overnight leaders to keep pace with Bourdy, shooting a 65 to stay within two strokes after the third round.

• Taiheiyo Masters: Hirofumi Miyase shot a 5-under 67 to take a one-stroke clubhouse lead at 7-under 209 before darkness suspended the rainy third round in Gotemba, Japan.

• Paul Casey pulled out of the season-ending Dubai World Championship next week with a rib injury and will miss out on finishing atop the European Tour money list.

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